Soul's memory of a harmonic rhythm
by JessiFaye
Summary: It could be Karma, it could be fate, it could be the reason why I fell in love who wasn't you. Faye discovers that remembering the past isn't what's it all cracked up to be. SpikexFaye ViciousxFaye 'Postsequel...sorta to Memories of an ill comfort'
1. Chapter 1

Thank you all for acknowledging this story, trust me, it will be good. But if you haven't read the two chapter-one-shot of this sorry, its okay, I promise you won't be confused, the two chapter-one-shot isn't a must read before reading this one. I'm just saying if you read "Memories of an Ill comfort" then you will expect this story to pretty much have the same amount of graphic play. Just for your interest.

Authors Note: Just to tell all, this is not my favorite part of the story, it puts out a lot of detail about pretty much nothing but scenery and I'm doing my best to show you all how this scene is in my perspective. Also a heads up on this Chapter, when there is a dialog, all it is, is the characters and memories, you know, a bit of a recap of the end of the regular series. It does not go with the scenery. By the way, this Chapter does go good if you put out an old Beethoven --- in the background. Sorry, just in my own perspective again.

P.S. I know you all seen this before and I don't think you all need to see this again, but if I don't some one is going to report, so I'm only going to say this once if its soooo necessary to do so but I'm going to ask 'please don't sue-yadayadayada O.K." I don't like to repeat this over and over again, but I OWN NOTHING BUT MY STORY PLOT ITSELF. There, now we got that covered. Enjoy!!

Soul's memory of a harmonic rhythm

The day began to take its end as the sun was three-quarters away from showing itself from this side of this red planet, leaving the hill tops giving its blinding lights of miraculous shaded of gold's and browns. Each tree's leaves on the hill tops shimmer of what a true creation man kind really put them to seem to look like. Man kind played with creation to play like God to let this dull red planet have the fake personality of what Earth once had long ago along with their seasonal changes. The sky looked uplifting with its bright purples painted across the sky. Gives this planet more of a fact it's artificial.

Through this beautiful scenery lies a long twisting road that shows no start nor no finish, and occupies nothing but a single dark forest green vehicle that blends in with the road with it's smooth swerves the road take its direction. The vehicle showed no personality but of bores of light tinted windows, visible enough to see a women sitting on the passengers side. Have's the dark shade of dark burgundy hair and dark sunglasses when they were not even necessary.

_"She said she'll be waiting there. She said you'd understand."_

………

_"It was from a woman named Julia. Someone was after her... They were chasing her..."_

The road began to take the car to a suburb area where housings and other buildings were coming into view reflecting the cars windows.

_"It was raining that day as well..."_

………

_"Let's just run away somewhere. Truly escape from this world and go where no one else is... Just the two of us..."_

The women couldn't stand looking at the side of the road no more knowing where this vehicle is going to take her, so she looked down with a sad frown on her face.

_"Where are you going? Why are you going?"_

………….

_"I thought I was watching a dream that I would never awaken from. Before I knew it, the dream was all over."_

………….

_"My... memory came back."_

the air felt thick in the small comported vehicle as it makes its way toward a muggy looking cemetery with each marker showing it existence to the passer's that goes on by.

_"But... nothing good came out of it"_

The vehicle finally comes to a complete stop to a series of endless stones embedded to the dew grass. The woman then opens the door to the car door only taking her foot out to the gravel underneath her.

_Bang...Bang...Bang...Bang...Bang..._

…………..

_"Please Spike, please...don't go..."_

It took hesitation for the women to finally get out of the vehicle, but eventually stepped out anyway. As she stood in full posture the winds began to pick up and the wisps of her hair gliding to slap her pale face, she slid her fingers across them delicately tucking them behind her ear. She took a deep breath as if it were her last, she put her surroundings into memory because it will be the place she would soon call her sanctuary. She removed her sunglasses to reveal rich emerald green eyes as her sad frown began to take of an emotion of pain.

_"...please Spike...don't go...I love you."_

* * *

HA! How's that for the first Chapter. I know I know it makes no sence right now but It will start to go to the story, this is not even the peak of the story, I just wanted you all tho have a little taste of what this story may be about. 2nd Chapter will be on its way soon enough.Chao for now. 


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, this Chapter definetly has a lot of Flashbacks and spoilers, but its to be needed to understand whats goin on (sorry if I insulted your intelligence) but a lot of the Chapters will have this a bit. Okay, I'm done saying what I need to say so now back to the story.

**Chapter 2**

_Flashback _

_The main chamber was dark with soft illuminated lights, enough to see what was in front of Spike as he ran. As he opens the door the room explodes, revealing the night sky. As the smoke and dust settles the only presents Spike feels and to hardly see is an unknown yet familiar figure step down from the large stairway. _

_"So you are finally awake. I told you before, Spike... that I am the only one who can kill you." The voice said through the decay. Spike now knew who that person was; it was the reason why he was brought here to begin with._

_"I'll return those words back to you, Vicious."_

_"Either way, we were destined to end up like this." _

_Spike then runs up the stairway and the two clash weapons. "Do you really think that I'm the one responsible for your life ending right about now let alone anyone else's death? You put this on yourself, if there is anyone to blame about this whole ordeal, it's you Spike, and you put this 'Fate' upon yourself."_

_Vicious takes his advantage to cut Spike twice, the while Spike does the same by shooting Vicious' katana out of his hand, landing right below Spike's boots and vise versa to Vicious with Spike's gun._

"_You know Spike, she betrayed you, you thought she loved you, and when you need her most, she runs because she knows that there was never any future for you both. Really Spike, why do you think she came back so suddenly, you think she wanted to be with you?"_

_Spike puts his hand on the katana while the same time Vicious puts his hand on the gun._

_"Julia passed away... Let's end it all." Spike finally said as his final words to his once so called friend._

_"If that's your wish."_

_They quickly exchange weapons by sliding them to one side to the other, and at one final second time seemed to freeze as both men felt the warm liquid of blood spurt out of their bodies._

_Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours until one fell completely on the floor lifeless. As the other remain to stay alive several minutes later. _

_Spike slowly went down the stairs to see confused men look at him in horror and before anyone can exchange a word, he fell the same fashion Vicious had moments ago._

_End Flashback_

The feeling, the look, the smell, of the place looked sickening, the walls of the room were white, the doors were white and even the chairs were white. The place looked completely dead, cause that's what it was, to Faye; it was the place of judgment. Heaven or Hell.

To Faye; it was hell, or at least it was what she felt that was coming to her at the moment as Jet and a man with a 'white' coat came through the doors. She looked to the white tiled floors with her back hunched low, she didn't have to know it was Jet coming, for they were the only living beings in this God forsaking hospital.

Faye hated the hospitals, it was the place that gave birth and death, and in her case, awakening. They always smelt of death and flowers which never gave a good combination. It was the feeling of waking up from a nightmare and entering to another.

Regardless, Faye Valentine hated hospitals, and she despises them even more for the reason why she is at one in this very moment.

As she heard the footsteps of the two men coming toward her, she closed her eyes blocking reality away to only remember that one 'tragic night'.

_Flashback_

_The Bebop was full of noises that it usually occupied, but this noise was different, it was turned completely around, instead of hearing the usual kid and dog running around screaming senseless words, the kitchen utensils heard from a annoyed and angry man, and the bickering of two childish adults throughout the ship. It was different and it was foreign, there was no child and dog, no bickering, no angry chef in the kitchen._

_All was heard was the faint sound of the ship running, along with screaming cries of a woman, teeth clenching from a man, and the television having the voices of panicked news reporters at a scene shown behind them._

_"Breaking news, 'The Red Dragon Syndicate' collapses last night by a terrorist attack."_

_Click._

_"Rumor's has it that one single man entered the building with mass explosives to assassinate the new leader of the Syndicate, it was said to be a suicidal terror attack..."_

_Click._

_"Apartment complex had a shoot-out, and an automobile parked in front of that building exploded earlier that day, and officers believe it has a connection to the terrorist attack that happened last night."_

_Click._

_"Last night, the building was bombed and killed hundreds of men in the..."_

_Jet flipped through chanel to chanel and all of them had the same news. He began to crack his knuckles one by one mumbling something about those reporters doesn't have a clue of what they're talking about. He then looked to Faye's direction seeing that her hands were on her head with her nose between her knees crying and whispering repeating the word 'Please make it stop.' Jet felt what she felt, he knew why she said those words, he just didn't know how to show so much emotion as a women could, he was surprised yet not shocked at all to Faye's crumbling breakdown. If anyone he feels sorry for, that deserves his pity, if there was anyone he would want to protect from a world that clashed onto itself at that moment, it would be the women sitting several feet away from him. Faye Valentine has been through it all. She wakes up in a world that she was never meant be, get's cheated on for having a dept on both her hands she didn't deserve and another from trusting a 'pig' that gave her more of a dept problem that she can't pay, causing threats from different people that she owes, and finally when there was that bit of trust coming from the people on this ship, all of a sudden abandons her (besides Jet), finally remembering of her past only to find out its all in ruins knowing now that she is truly alone. It was a surprise to Jet that she hasn't broken down sooner, how could of they missed it. All of those sly grins she gave, the tough act trying to show that she could be better than 'him', the bickering and yelling trying to show that she is strong enough not to cry. She was at best putting on a mask making everyone see that she was okay; not knowing that she would cry in the dark of her room wishing that she could keep that pretend side of her would not shatter in front of them, in front of 'him'. Waking up every night in a cold sweat from a nightmare of a past she thinks she had. A frown and hurt face hidden after she called the lunkhead a 'lunkhead' because he made a comment that hit a nerve. Giving a true smile and wanting to burst out a laughter but didn't when Ed and the dog did something 'bizarre' because she didn't want them to see that she had a weakness for the kid. Envying them for there enthusiastic behavior wishing she could be the same. She was at best when it came to making a mask._

_Jet looked back to the television listening more to the stories they gave, it didn't matter what station he had it on, all of them had the same breaking news, 'terrorist attack, bombs going off, numbers of people dead, so on and so on.'_

_Click._

_"The man named of 'Spike Spiegel' entered this building last night killing over fifty members of the 'Red Dragon'. What I gathered from the police was that Spike Spiegel had a connection to the Syndicate and was very disagreeable to having the new leader of the Red Dragons known as the name of Vicious, as a code or a nick name I suspect. He invaded the building armed to plan on taking down the new leader and in the process, getting himself killed as well..."_

_End Flashback_

"Faye, you can go in now." Jet said in a hushed tone putting his good hand on her left shoulder.

Faye slowly got up to greet the doctor waiting for her so they would pass through the doors into the place she believed as hell. As they were out of sight from Jet and walking down the narrow halls, the doctor finally broke the silence.

"Ma'am, I am truly sorry to what happened to your friend, I had a friend once that-"

Faye blocked him out as she stared onto the oncoming door's to rooms, she began to remember the same 'tragic night' she was telling Jet her secret she has been keeping from them, from 'him', for the last week or so.

_Flashback_

_It's been an hour since Spike left to 'go see if he's truly alive' excuse so he can run off to die, Faye has remained at the same spot waiting for her tears to dry out from the crying. As Jet finally finished his cleaning the window in just that one spot that seemed particularly dirty to him, he heard Faye call out to him. The call out that seemed panicked or lost, looking for someone, to see if he was still there with her. _

_It was barely audible, but he heard her. "Yeah?"_

_It was silent, he thought she probably regretted calling out his name, he waited for a couple of seconds to see if she'll call out again._

"_Jet?" she said again, as the same way she called him out the first time._

_He gave out a sigh and dropped what he was doing so he can see what Faye wanted him for. As he entered the hall where Spike left Faye deserted, he notice the tension in the air, it seemed like it was suffocating him, that it was a bad idea to walk in there seeing the way Faye looked towards the ground concentrating on something very hard that soon her head will explode any time now._

_She breathed in as much air into her lungs as she possibly can and let it out in a long sigh and began to speak as clear as her throat would allow without the waterworks to begin again._

_"I'm sorry...I'm sorry for everything...I- If you want to kick me out, its fine. I wont get mad at you, a-and if you don't forgive me...I understand." Faye whispered knowing that Jet was right there with her._

_That was the last thing Jet thought he would hear coming from Faye, for her to truly apologize, he was shocked, and he was also confused._

_"For what? you didn't do anything wrong. It- It's not your fault that Spike left; you did what you-... Faye?" He stopped mid-sentence because Faye began to cry again the moment he said it wasn't her fault._

_"I should have told you guy's, if I told him, I thought...thought for sure he would leave and never come back. I'm...OH GOD, I-" Faye was choking on her own words as she began to have a slight panic attack with tears going down uncontrollably._

_"Faye, what do you mean, what's wrong?" Jet asked now concerned to Faye's condition now. He did a quick jog toward her; he leaned down to be leveled with her and lifted up her chin with his mechanical hand._

_Faye started to relax a bit more, enough for her throat to be a little clearer again. "Jet, I did something unforgivable, I did something I wasn't suppose to do, it- it's involving Spike, and he doesn't know about it."_

_End Flashback_

"Ma'am? Miss. Valentine, we're here." the doctor said snapping Faye out of her thoughts.

Faye looked up to see the door number read '317'; she closed her eyes and sighed as she reached for the handle. As she opened the door, she saw, as no surprise, that the room was white, and the light above was blinking frantically giving her a headache already. The only color that she could see was the lanky form on the hospital bed in front of her, or at least his patch of dark green curls, as his body goes, well he looked like a ghost. She began to think, just like her, like her, she was a ghost from the past, a lost soul only looking for an explanation.

She walked to the dead man and couldn't move to sit down. Looking at his body was like a trance, it was hypnotizing, though she couldn't move her body, but at least she could breathe and hopefully talk.

"Spike." Was all Faye could muster out before the tears started forming in her eyes.

"I…well, I don't know what to say really, um, I guess I can start off by saying I'm sorry." It was the second time that week that she apologized to anyone.

The tears began to swell up in her eyes, "Spike, I should have told you, but I thought…if I did then you would leave for sure, TO LEAVE ME…..and then you would tell me to get rid of it, and I couldn't do that, I wouldn't want to do that." She began to whisper as tears went down her face.

"The thing is Spike, I don't even know if you have a say on that, if you were conscious right now, if you were, you still may not have a say on that." She said looking strait at the dead looking man in front of her.

"I want to move on, I want to have a life, and I don't want to keep running anymore. I'm tiered. I can't do this anymore, I'm not strong enough for this. Spike, I- I can't be with you. You're only going to make things worse than it already is. So now, I'm gonna need to say goodbye. If you wake up from this…I need you…to stay dead to me."

* * *

Note: Alrighty, that was chapter 2, it was a bit shorter than what I thought. Yes this is a bit of a suspense and it will start off slow, but I promise by the 4th or 5th Chapter it will speed up a bit and the 'secret' will be 'not so secretive anymore', or maybe sooner, or maybe you kinda figured it out. Don't know. But please review and I will be on Chapter 3 soon. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay my third chapter is goin up and I just want to note. I'm tiered of putting Flashbacks/End Flashbacks, so this is what I'm gonna do. I'll tell you now. **

**_Slanted words_ Flashback **

**These things ' ' thoughts/quote **

**Double these things " " dialog **

**I'll make note if I missed something. **

Now on to the story

* * *

Chapter 3

Ding Dong.

The lights of the street light indicated that pedestrians were allowed to walk to one side to the other. Minute by minute, the streets of the once criminal owned city of Mars began to fill of people going out to their usual busy lives. It was the mid of 'spring' in this artificial city, as desperate musicians played their jazzy tunes when people went their own desperation to make it through another day.

It was unusual for this time of day for any business to be closed, but it was also unusual for a single bar to be open at the time as well. 'A.C.B.J.s' was the only bar that opened so early in the morning when the sun came up and closes so much earlier than most bar do. Not much people comes in the mornings, but reasons why was for the costumers' that couldn't make a bar last night, or either those people woken up with a hangover and just wants more alcohol to make that headache to go away. It was always the same in there though, always men to sulk in there own personal issues, men swaying in and out of the bar, and some decides to pass out to take a little nap. One man in particular slept on the news paper reading 'Mars Daily Journal, 17 of March, 2076'

The volumes of men belching, grumbling and swearing was nothing new in this bar, the only clear language that was in there was the miniature television set placed above the bar with no visual picture but the sound of a obnoxious man talking about last nights game about the 'blue sox's'. It was clear that it didn't have a variety of stations and only the basics.

"Scotch on the rocks." A man said to the bartender with his head down low, his face was unnoticeable to see, but the usual people who walked in there all the time knew the man, he was easily spotted considering him having a lanky built form, and his signature green afro. He looked like any other average man in there. Wearing just a pair of jeans and a leather brown jacket.

The bartender looked at him suspiciously, "What? you never order that drink. Is somethin botherin ya?"

"Nope." was all the man replied.

"Huh, you are one unpredictable fella." The bartender stated the obvious to the mans annoyance.

As the bartender gave the man his order, the man on the news was interrupted by another man talking about a new bounty.

"'Cassius Maitoya' runs illegal gambling and extortion rings. He is 6'2" weighs about 155 lbs; he is in his late twenties, early thirties, dark burgundy hair and green/turquoise eye color. His bounty is 8 million woolongs if dead and 12 million if brought in alive..."

"Wow, that is some bounty, ain't it." The bartender said over the T.V. as he turned around to look at the man, he was already gone leaving his empty glass and bill on the bar table.

---------------------------------------ooooooooooooooo

"GOD DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!" The angry voice on the Bebop yelled to all his glory. Knowing that it was not going to be a good day, the dog under the man's feet, shifted to the other side of the kitchen to finish up his good slumber.

"Did you kill the food again Jet-person?"

Jet didn't have to look up to see it was Ed leaning on the door frame with a grim across her face to see that she was making fun of Jet's another attempt to make chicken and rise again.

"No, I just burned myself again." Jet said clutching on his hand.

"I think you're getting Arthritis, soon enough, you'll end up with two cybernetic arms." Ed said amused at Jet's recent position.

"Humph yeah, hey Ed go get the drinks for us would'ya."

Ed whined at the chore she needed to do, but did as she was told. As she got the cups with ice in them, Ein perked up his ears at the beeping noise he heard in the main room, he quickly gets up with his little stub tail wagging as he jogged to the room and gave short ruffled barks.

Ed noticed this and went the same direction to where Ein has gone into, seeing that her upgraded 'tomato' was giving a frantic red blinking light indicating it was a call to the Bebop. She clicked on the button to see who the disturbing caller was. Her eyes went wide to see who was on the other end of the call, and though no verbal sound came out of her mouth the lips read clearly of what she said.

"Spike-person???"

_--------0000_

_"Ed would'ya get that, I'm busy right now." Jet's yell coming from his precious bonsai room. _

_"Okey-doky-Jet-persoooon." Ed said while playing airplanes around the ship. She picked up the call to see a man in a white coat with a concerned look on his face. _

_"Is this the residents of Jet Black?" The man on the other line had said. Ed only gave her smile to the man and nods her head uncontrollably. _

_"Well can you give him a message, tell him that Mr. Spiegel is awake and if he can come in as soon as possible." and with that the man disconnected the line. _

_"Oohhh, Jetty-Jet-Jet-person, Edward has a message for youuuuu." She said in her usual fashion, as she turned around she saw Jet standing at the doorway with a shocked and baffled expression on his face. _

_They made it to the hospital at thirty minutes tops and as they entered the hospital they saw the women at the front desk with an already know it smile plastered across her face knowing why they were here. Before Jet could open his mouth about the whereabouts of Spike, the doctor came in insisting that the two would follow him through the hall's that would lead them to their friend. Jet just had to see it to believe it that Spike is truly awake, and as truth be told, Spike was fully awake. _

_He laid on the hospital's bed with tubes and needles going throughout his body not knowing where one ends and another started. He gazed out the window that the room occupied not bothering to see Jet and Ed entering his room. _

_"Spike-person?" Ed said with a little squeak as she peeked into the room. Spike stayed silent still looking out the window. Though no words were spoken, Spike still smiled at the innocence Ed still had in her that he'd missed out from for so long. Jet relaxed a bit as he saw this. _

_After a long silence Spike finally spoke up, of course, he wouldn't speak clear and it came out very scratchy, but what would of you expected from a man who hasn't used his vocal cords for more than two years. _

_"So, I guess I'm still alive, huh?" he said this as a statement more than a question, but Jet took it as one anyways. _

_"Yeah, I guess so." _

_The day past by quickly as Spike and Jet talked about anything of nothings as Ed talked a lot of gibberish and also about the time she spent with her father. Spike's voice was still raspy, but it was enough for Jet and Ed to comprehend it. Then the conversation started to become serious. _

_"Jet, don't expect me to up and leave with you guys back to the ship after I get released." _

_"Why's that?" _

_It went silent as Spike looked back at the window into the distance as far as the window would allow. "I need to make a closure, a new Identity, you know, start from scratch again." _

_Nothing was said for awhile. "I understand." Jet said in a low monotone. _

_"But Spike-person will be back on the Bebop, right?" Ed said with worry. _

_Spike tried his best to answer the girl but all that came out was a mumble of a "donno" _

_"Um but hey, if you want to know, your room hasn't been rearranged, its still the way you left it, its still there if you want, and I'll give you the coordinates to our ship if you ever need to come in contact just in case." Jet said as he took out a paper and pen to write down the new number to the Bebop if Spike contacts. _

_"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." _

_"And after you left, someone located your space craft and brought it back to the ship. It's repaired and in good working shape, so I'll bring it in about another two to three days and it'll be sitting at the hospitals parking lot." _

_Jet put the note on the night stand next to the bed. Spike then looked at Ed to see her sulking at the new news. He felt bad for the girl, and he really didn't want to take the chance of missing her completely. "I promise Ed, I'll be back…just not anytime soon, alright." And with that, Ed looked up to Spike and gave her famous Ed ear to ear smiles. _

_--------00000000_

"Alright Ed, I'm comin in." Spike said over the communicator.

Ed quickly typed onto her 'tomato' to open the hatch. As Ed gotten older, so has her 'toys', the new upgraded tomato now had a lock system to the Bebop ship along with other benefits, so opening the hatch became easy on Ed by using her remote controllable tomato.

Jet came out of the kitchen to see Ed typing away, "Hey, what is it.?"

"SPIKE-PERSONS BACK!!" Ed yelled as she jumped up and leapt over the couch, and ran strait to the hanger.

Jet just looked at the spot Ed just occupied and dazed for awhile, 'Damn.'

Ed ran to the hanger to see that the old swordfish lied on its usual spot, the place she remembered where it used to sit. As she saw the door open with a hissing whoosh and out came a tall lanky figure, and seeing that it had a fro and a cigarette being lit from the figures mouth, she knew it was the person she missed and the man that promise to be back.

"SPIKE-PERSON!!!" Ed yelled as she ran towards Spike. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug not planning to let go. Spike dropped the cigarette to the floor from his mouth caused by the tight embrace, and was desperate for air to breathe.

As she finally let go to look at him and see if it's the real Spike, she gives him a hearty smile, "It's good to see you back Spike-person."

At first Spike thought it was Ed that was coming to him at full speed, until he felt the unfamiliar height and body curve that this…this women possessed, he felt the well shaped ample chest amongst his own chest. He didn't complain or anything, besides the fact that she's close to depleting his oxygen, but this is not Ed that he was expecting. When she finally let'n go of him and when he saw this women's face, he was shocked to see that it was Ed, just a bit…more matured. He saw that Ed was now three inches taller, more…body curves her age is suppose to have not to mention, looks more like a girl, but she also showed more feminism than she did back then. Her hair stayed about the same length, but now it was spiked up a bit in the back and some hair going to the side of her face and had blond highlights. She still wore the same clothes, same white shirt but now snug to her body, and the same black spandex shorts, only difference is, is that she wore shoes instead of being bare foot. Spike realized that the Ed he use to know isn't a little girl anymore, but now she's a young woman.

"Aw man, wait till Jetty-Jet-person see's you."

Alright, maybe she matured physically but grammar; well…it still needs to be worked on. At least she doesn't talk in third-person anymore. That's good.

As Ed and Spike entered to the main room, they were greeted by Jet just sitting on the old yellow couch. He didn't look at Spike nor Ed, for he was too much into his own thoughts to even notice there presents.

"Hey Jetty-Jet-Jet-person, look who finally showed up after all these years." Ed said as she sat on the opposite side of Jet reaching out for the new flourish pink nail polish, on the centered table, she recently brought with her own savings. Jet looked up to see Spike hovering over him with a new cigarette meeting his lips and ready to be lit. Jet couldn't find any words to say, it wasn't like he was shocked to see Spike here again, like Spike said before, he was eventually coming back to the Bebop; it was just the matter of when. All Jet could say, was what he would say every other time Spike came back to the Bebop.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah, starved."

Jet got back up to his feet towards the kitchen to serve the chicken n rise to Spike. Spike gave a look to Ed's direction for a moment watching her file and paints her nails. Something about that pose and position she was in, struck a nerve in Spike. Then he remembered.

"Hey Jet, is that really her, I mean what happened?" Spike asked as he walked into the kitchen seeing Jet pile food onto a plate. Jet chuckled at Spike's curiosity.

"Donno, she was just plain o'Ed then one day she just…became someone totally different, I mean, it's the same Ed but she just one day decided to talk like a regular average teenager. She still likes to call us by our nick names she gave us, and still likes to talk in little riddles but, she matured, not to mention a little woman's attitude. I think it all started that way is about the same time she went through her women's ehehm…puberty."

"Ah, I see." Spike said understanding what Jet meant by that, then he remembered.

"Speaking of women with attitude, are we expecting to see the shrew anytime soon?" at that Ed stopped what she was doing and looked up towards the kitchen. Jet continued to his task of cleaning the small mess he made.

"Nope." was all Jet said.

"Huh, so she ran off again, not surprising, bet she can't wait to see me back here." Spike said with a grim on his face, but when no one took that as a joke and was serious, he was now curious to know what was wrong.

"So how long has she been gone, a day, two, or hopefully a week?" Spike said, trying to make another try at giving Jet a sense of humor.

"Try four years." Ed said as she walked into the kitchen to serve herself the rest of the food from the pan.

Spike looked up at Ed, taken aback to hear the news. "Why?"

"She's like you. She wants to find closure, get away from everything, she knew that staying here would suffocate her, and I understood, she had nothing here anymore. She wanted to get a new life, a new identity, she wanted happiness and it wasn't here, actually I wanted her to make that decision, I wanted her to go just as bad as she wanted to. She was breaking here and it wasn't healthy for her, for any of us." Jet looked at Spike seeing if he understood what he was saying.

"But, doesn't she know I'm still alive, you did tell her that I didn't die. Right?"

"No, she knew, but she really didn't want to hear it, let alone care about it." Jet said regretting that what he just said. Of course Faye cared, she was the one who stayed by the communicator waiting for the call to come in to hear if he was still okay, but he couldn't let Spike into that info at the moment.

"So where is she at now?" Spike asked sounding now serious.

"Donno, don't really care to look for her. She doesn't want to be found this time, and I didn't push it. She wanted to find her past, she found it and now she's on a journey of her own. Best is to let it go, if she wants to come back here, great, but if not, well, I give her the best of luck and happiness."

"Do you even know if she's okay, has she at least contacted every once in awhile at least?" Spike said with a little worry in his voice.

"Yeah of course Spike-person, come on, this is Faye-Faye we're talking about." Ed said budding into their conversation.

'Yeah, and that's what I'm worried about.' Spike thought as he sighed knowing that Jet and Ed weren't gonna give him anymore information than what he already knows now.

_------0000000_

_Spike and Faye goes to the parking lot to their air crafts after turning in Whitney to the police station and getting their rewards. As they start their engines and headed up to space Spike turns on his communicator to connect to Faye's. _

_"So if you don't know anything about your past, explain to me to how you know you're a Romani." _

_"Well, it is quite obvious, but…I don't know, I just know that I am or was. I know enough that I'm a Romani, I know that I was born on the 4th of August and…that would make me a Leo, but other than that, I don't know." Faye said over the communicator as she put her craft on auto pilot. _

_"And how do you know that?" _

_"Like I said, I just…know. Women's instincts I guess." _

_"Yeah, that's it, that's exactly what it is." Spike snipped back at Faye sarcastically. _

_"You know Faye, its really not a big deal, I mean, what can you do, the past is the past, leave it alone, your probably better off without it." Spike took out a cigarette and just when he was ready to light it Faye spoke up a little above a whisper. _

_"Is that what you tell yourself everyday Spike?" For a moment Faye didn't know if Spike heard her or not because there began to have tension in the air by how quiet Spike became all of a sudden. _

_"Spike? You told me that no matter the past, I still have a future, well how am I to have a future if I don't know the past, without a past there's no future?" _

_"If you keep thinking that way then maybe you won't have a future." _

_With that said, it was Faye's turn to become very quiet. _

_"Faye? I'll tell you what, because I'm such a 'considerate caring kind of guy', I'll do what I can to help you remember your past, but as I told you before, nothing might come good out of it, and besides, we wouldn't mind you hangin around the ship." Spike said a little sarcastic about the mister nice guy thing but he did meant to what he said, besides, he wouldn't mind having the shrew as an extra help when it came to the bounties. Actually, he never minded it at all, but he wouldn't tell her or anyone else that, even if Hell freezes over until he would ever confess a thing. _

_"No, it's more sympathy than being 'considerate caring kind of guy', and I don't want no ones especially your sympathy…but, thanks anyways." Faye said as she looked out to space to finally see the Bebop in view. _

_"Hey, but this doesn't go out to anyone, you tell anyone about this I swear to Go-" Spike snapped to Faye about his little confession but was only interrupted by Faye, "Ditto." At this they both hid the grim on their faces at there little agreement and for once, there 'civilized' conversation. _

_--------0000000_

Spike could remember that little 'deal' they had back then, and the looks of it he was in deep thought. He finally lit his cigarette that was dangling on his lips for awhile and headed to his old room to see if everything was the same since he last been in it. Both Jet and Ed gave each other a worried look at knowing Spike's actions. Oh how well they knew Spike when it came to his curiosity. According to Faye, as the old saying goes, 'Curiosity killed the cat.'

"Do you think he's gonna find her?" Ed asked.

"I don't know. I don't know if it's a good idea if he should, you know what if she is in trouble? It is Faye we're talking about here, but truthfully, I really, and I mean I really hope he fails to find her."

* * *

Whoowhoo, I did it. I finished this Chapter. God it took me four hours to actually do this one.

Hey, to the people that are interested in my story, I will really appreciate it if you reviewed, even if they're bad comments, I could take the abuse. If I don't get any reviews by the 5th Chapter, then I'm going to think, maybe I should stop with this story for awhile and see if I'm doing anything wrong.

Oh yeah, I know what some people are thinking, but no this s not a Spike and Ed romance story, Yeah this Chapter kinda gave away that Spike was checking out Ed, but no. I mean, she is still a minor, and that's not like Spike's character to have such dirty thoughts (or those kind of dirty thoughts) I'm trying my best not to make the characters ooc, even though it was a tinny-bit oocish on Spike's part on this Chapter.

Next Chapter is finally going to have Faye and it should be posted by….next week maybe, so stay tuned.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Alright….um, this is chapter four. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 4

"Hello Miss. Evans." A middle aged woman waved to the younger women at the opposite side of the street, and in return the younger women waved back in acknowledgment.

It was early afternoon when the community becomes lively with kids and teens wearing their school uniforms after a busy day at their schools. Parents with their children holding tightly onto their hands, vehicles going by at a slow speed as the crossing guards and children waits for their turn to cross.

The woman was very well known in this community. They knew her as being average, normal, and an ordinary young woman who had just brought a decent home four and a half years ago with the small bulge growing in her stomach. She; a single woman that worked at a nice restaurant as a waitress, independent, living on her own with no help needed.

This woman was known as Faye Evans. Beautiful, fragile, and graceful to the people who seen her on the streets. Any stranger would see her that way as well. But in truth, she's deceiving to the naked eye. She has a past that co-exist to be known as Faye Valentine and that she refuses to remember and desperately wishes to forget. The past is the past, and it is meant to stay there.

_ooo_

_"I should have told you guy's, if I told him, I thought...thought for sure he would leave and never come back. I'm...OH GOD, I-" Faye was choking on her own words as she began to have a slight panic attack with tears going down uncontrollably._

_"Faye, what do you mean, what's wrong?" Jet asked now concerned to Faye's condition now. He did a quick jog toward her; he leaned down to be leveled with her and lifted up her chin with his mechanical hand._

_Faye started to relax a bit more, enough for her throat to be a little clearer again. "Jet, I did something unforgivable, I did something I wasn't suppose to do, it- it's involving Spike, and he doesn't know about it."_

"_Faye?" Jet asked as he tried to hear what she was trying to say._

"_It's been going on for two weeks now, that's why I left, I've been getting sick." She said more calm and emotionless than before._

"_You left because you were sick?" Jet asked as if she was talking in riddles, which in his opinion, she was._

"_No, I- was vomiting every morning, at first, I thought it was just the flu going around but it wouldn't go away. I went to go to see a doctor and he told me it wasn't the case." Tears began to go down her face again as she explained the truth. _

"_Faye, what are you talking about? What does this have to about him-" Jet asked but was interrupted by Faye's sudden outburst._

"_I'm pregnant… Its there Jet." _

_The hall turned silent yet it seemed like all hell broke loose. Jet felt like the ground beneath him trembled and soon to be departed, but it was only the trembling of his body. Even though he had an artificial arm, it felt numb and painful like the rest of his body, everything in contrast seemed to collide into one another the moment the word 'pregnant' left her tongue._

"_You're what?" Jet said quietly as if he didn't hear it the first time._

"_The doctor said 'congratulations Miss. Valentine, but I believe you have a bun in the oven' he's so old fashion by using that kind of term but I understood it perfectly." She said with a bit of a snort at the remembrance of the old doctor._

_Jet was baffled and couldn't believe that she would make such a wise crack joke at a moment like this and still had the tears running down her face._

"_I- God Faye…How?- why? Wh-what…I still don't understand what this has to do with him."_

_Yes, still in this time of the century, Faye believed that all men were dense and will always be when it comes to logical terms. She slowly looked up into Jets ice blue eyes, unbelievably. If he couldn't understand in logic, maybe he can read her thoughts to understand it._

_Jets eyes then got big at the realization of what Faye meant. _

"_Faye is it-"_

"_I donno." _

_Again, time stood still for the both of them and again, Jet is trying to figure out Faye's riddles. Why was it so difficult for him to understand? Faye looked down and rested her head onto her knees and soft mumbles of apologies were only heard from the broken woman in front of him. He stood at a stand still wandering of what to say, what to do, how to even cope to what was to happen next. Then in an instant, Faye shot her head up to look Jet strait in the eyes to look for anything, an understanding, forgiveness, anger, anything to make Jet to stop looking at her so helpless, weak, pitied for. The things she so desperately never wanted coming from them to her. It angered her. She knew what she had to do. Not only for that reason alone, but for the sake of the life she would need to lead for herself and now new child growing inside of her. Her gaze on Jet's eyes left as she got up to stand tall and began to walk away._

"_Hey, where you going?" Jet asked suddenly realizing that Faye was headed to her room._

"_I can't stay here Jet." Was her simple reply. Jet followed after her then right behind. _

_She took out her navy blue duffle bag from underneath the bed and threw random materials she owned into the bag. As she did this, Jet stood at the door way, trying to register all of what was going on. It was just moving way to fast for him._

"_Wait! Why? I don't understand. Where you going? Why are you going?" he said panicked. Faye was not in the state of mind to do anything, let alone, go anywhere. She was going insane. _

_She froze to what she was doing, hearing Jet asked those simple questions gave her a recap, a reminder of those simple questions she asked Spike just an hour ago. She hesitated and shook uncontrollably. She thought for a moment at what she was just doing at the moment. 'Am I becoming just like him? Just get up and leave, just like that. Am I abandoning them just for my selfish desires, just like him?' As if Jet was reading her own thoughts, he asked the questions that were just going through her head._

"_Are you just gonna get up and leave? Faye, don't be like him. My leg is SHOT, there is NOTHING I have to offer you. We're BROKE and besides, your ship is crashed. NOT NOW FAYE! Not like him." He said breathlessly, almost shouting at her. It stayed silent as Jet watched Faye hunch her shoulders low. He was getting inpatient at Faye's silence and no response._

"_You know what? FUCK IT! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN, LEAVE, but I swear Faye, you even dare to come back onto this ship-" _

"_Thanks Jet." She said a little above a whisper. Jet caught this and couldn't finish giving her a piece of his mind because the sudden shock and misunderstanding of Faye's 'thank you's'._

"_I knew you could be such a softy some times. I'll miss you too." She said this as she turned around. She gave Jet a sad smile as Jet looked at her as if she really was loosing it._

"…_But, I'm not like him. I'm not going to die, I'm going because-"_

"_Let me guess, your going to see if your truly al-" _

"_I want to live." She said as she finished her sentence._

_Okay, that was not what Jet would have expected, but it did sound much better than 'see if I'm truly alive' crap. Faye continued on to her explanations of the sudden thoughts of leaving._

"_I know who I am now or at least who I was. I know my past and now I need to get my future. I'm pregnant and this child, this child is mine. I don't want to give it up, I finally have something that I can call my own and I don't want this to be taken away from me, not again. I don't want to be alone again. This is going to be my family, this child is going to be mine, a-and suppose Spike does survive that battle, what then? He's gonna know, and he would want to get rid of it. Either way, either way he wouldn't want anything to do with it. He's gonna hate and resent me and he's gonna take it out on MY child._

_Really, imagine Spike being the father figure, huh, imagine me being the mother figure, but at least I'm not abandoning anyone, I'm not being haunted about the past. I may not become the perfect mother, but I'm still going to love it, I'm neither going to let it be like me, especially nor any of them. Not only that , but come on Jet, we're a wreck, imagine raising a child on this ship. Bounty hunters, gambling, gamble on life, the smoke, no food. My child does not deserve this. Do you understand where I'm getting at?"_

_After her long monologue, it stayed silent once again. Faye looked at Jet pleadingly hoping he understood her actions. Jet hung his shoulders low, just like the way he felt. Low. He understood perfectly. He knew the consequences of having an infant on this ship. It would be a disaster. And even though Faye was putting Spike that low as hating her, and it is like him to demand that she has an abortion, which is obviously something she is not budging to do, when she has this child and if Spike 'did' survive, it wasn't Spike to put the blame and resentment on the child, but it would also be like him to not take responsibility for the child. More likely he would completely ignore that child and act as if it wasn't even his. Jet contemplated on this and thought what was to happen now. _

"_Fine, but Faye, can you at least wait until we get your ship up and running again, and until my leg is healed. I can, you know, get a couple of bounties for the money you would need when you bust out of here. If Spike does survive this, it's not like we need to tell him, keep it between us, but, if he doesn't, I'm asking you to stay here a bit longer then, alright?"_

_Faye smiled at this, she looked towards the bag she was ready to stuff with more things. She thought for a moment that she was being irrational. It was a good idea to stay, and it wasn't like she could go anywhere anyways. _

"_Alright, I'll stay."_

_ooo_

Faye remembered this conversation, it's been over four years ago but she remembered it like it was just yesterday. If she has seen herself back then, she would see her in abhorrence, spit her out like she was trash. Nonetheless, she was grateful. Faye wouldn't where the fashion of a retro street walker. Now she wore actual clothes, she had regular dark blue jean pants, a khaki colored Laura clement Safari jacket with seaming front and back, tailored collar, and long sleeves with deep cuffs. And instead of the white boots she use to wear, now it was replaced by light brown ones. She also replaced the headband for a hair band to pull her hair back for now it grew several inches, but kept her bangs at the same length but now kept them down covering her temple. She looked simple, ordinary and was known as Faye Evans.

She finally reached her destination after a couple of blocks of walking from her house to now a playground with children running and playing on the jungle gym. The chain linked fence was the only thing separating Faye from entering into that playground. She gazed at the children playing with each other trying to look for one child in particular. As she fixed her eyes to that one child making a sand castle near the swing set with the other children, the child looked up to Faye as if he expected her to be there and waved to her with a smile on his face knowing that she was there to see him. Faye clung to the fence gripping it as she smiled with her mouth moving saying a 'hi'.

_0000000_

"Oh hello Miss. Evans, I'm glad we could have this meeting today." The women extended her hand out to Faye for a greeting.

"Yes of course." Faye was then escorted to take a seat at one of the many small round tables that was presented to her.

"I called you in here today because I'm concerned about your son and his behavior."

"Behavior?" Faye asked unbelievingly.

"Your son is a very bright boy, very smart and he seems to take the role as a leader, but your son is also very rebellious. I tell him to clean up his messes, to participate in doing something, and then I tell him to go into his timeouts, but your son will either completely ignore or he would throw a bit of a tantrum if he's been told to do something."

"Well of course, he is only four years old, that's what they do." Faye said with a higher tone before when she walked in.

"Yes I understand that clearly, it's just that Darius, how can I say this, he's an unpleasant child and he needs to be disciplined. That's what concerns me as well. Is everything doing okay at home? Is he given good enough attention, does his father spend time with him?"

When the word 'father' was said, Faye put her head down. She didn't know how to explain it, actually, she didn't want to explain it to this crank woman right here, but its probably the reasons why her son was acting this way in his class the first place.

"Yeah everything's fine at home, he's a good boy at home, but considering the father, well you see, he's never had one. Darius' father died before he was born and he really doesn't have a 'father figure' to look up to."

"I see, I've dealt with children like him before and known many single working parents like yourself, even ones that had one of their parents deceased, it is hard for both the parent and especially the child to go through that kind of trauma, but when it comes to those matters, I recommend that you see a counselor or any kind of help."

The teacher really did seem concerned. It's what Faye didn't like, this woman was getting into her own personal business, and forget about seeing the counselor's, if any word got out about her past, it would cause a lot of trouble.

She always knew that her son was going to go through this kind of manner. Its not that Darius would hate the other kids, it was more envying them, to see that they had two parents and he always wandered why he only had one. Faye remembered him asking her that question once before. It was not something to be discussed, not yet at least. She eventually told him that his father had died before he was born, but she could never tell him as why that is, let alone of exactly who he was. It was a very touchy subject, and she would wait until he was old enough to understand. The behavior he had in class surprised her a little, but at the same time, it was to be expected. It did however, scared her to know that her son was influencing some of the other children to pick up his actions and this is what caught her attention as to way she was meeting with this teacher in the first place.

_00000000000_

"Strongest cheapest liquor you got." Spike said as he sat down at the bar.

The bar in particular didn't look half bad, it definitely looked better than the one he went into yesterday morning. Then again, Venus was known to have the best alcohol beverages so it was common here to have decent bars. This one in particular was dark but had a cozy feeling to it, soft rhythm and blues were being played at the back of the bar and instead of old geezers, there were some young people in there just having themselves a good time. At the center of the bar, were nice furnished pool tables as smoke danced above them from the majority of men having themselves a good smoke. It gave Spike the small long forgotten memory of the past, to be so young and naïve. Now being at the age of thirty-two, he felt old and aliened there. Maybe it was the better idea to go to another bar.

Spike then relaxed a bit after seeing a man about his age, maybe a bit younger, enter the bar to sit next to him. The man seemed to know the environment quite well, seeing that the bartender already prepared the drink for the man without him ordering the type of drink he wanted.

"Hey Cassius, what brings you in today?" The bartender greeted the man.

The man just shrugged his shoulders as signifying that it was like every other day of his life.

"Bad day?" The bartender said as he gave him his drink.

"Nah, just tiresome. I've been running around making errands all day so I just thought to take a break and stop by in here." He said this as he took his drink to his hands.

"Damn, your boss on your ass again."

"Yeah, he's been freakin' out since the R.D.s are up n' runnin again."

"So I heard the rumors. Any info about the new leader, you know since the last one was assassinated by that suicidal massacre?"

"As of yet, nah, not really. All I know is that the new leader has been getting new recruits, along with the some that survived back in order. I donno who the new leader is but I gotta give him credit. He does have guts to try bringing the new Red Dragons up n' runnin again."

This made Spike gaze at his drink in his hands as he overheard the conversation that was going on between the two men. He wondered if this 'rumor' was true or not. Spike took a sly glance over to the man that was named 'Cassius'. He looked about the age of twenty-seven, about the same height as Spike was, his hair dark black/burgundy color and long enough to touch his shoulders. The man was dressed very well. He had one of those expensive tuxedos, which more likely prove that he was a business man. But to Spike's interest, he wondered what kind of business man is he, if his boss is going haywire about a 'rumor'. Spike contemplated on this, and the only answers he could come up with was that this man was probably part of the syndicate himself, or he's part of a rival syndicate to the Red Dragons.

"…So what is it you need to do now Cassius?" The bartender asked as he cleaned a random glass.

"Ne? Oh I'm just gonna finish these reports and hand them in." Cassius rose up from the bar stool and tucked the papers into his suit case.

"The R.D.s?"

"Yeah." Cassius then looked over to Spike's direction to give him an acknowledging smile. It was a devious grin in Spike's perception.

As Spike looked back up to him, it was a long glance. For what ever reason this man seemed quite familiar, as if he's seen him before but where was still a mystery to him.

'I may have not remembered that face, but that grin is definitely familiar. Yeah, he's definitely works at the Red Dragon's.' Spike thought as he raised his glass to him back to his acknowledgment.

"See ya later Cass." The bartender set the glass down as Cassius left the bar. Spike's eyes followed the man out. He was a suspicious character to Spike but that was to be thought about later. Spike then remembered that he had a bounty hunt today. An assignment he promised Jet he would get today for the food that week. Spike got up to leave the bar and leaving behind the tip to the bartender as he waved back at Spike for the thanks.

_00000000 _

The walk back home for Faye and Darius was quiet as she held on to his hand. Darius had his head bowed down low as if he knew that he was in trouble. But the look in Faye's face, she was more sadden by this than mad at him about it. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her son. He was one without a father. Someone he needs, and looking up to 'only' a mother wasn't the best for a boy to grow into a better man. Over the years, Faye considered if she should start dating, but the thought was shoved aside quickly. Dating was something that she didn't want, or not interested in. She had a hard time trusting any man anyways because every man that she's encountered ends up leaving and abandoning her and she didn't want her son to ever have that kind of experience as she did.

As they past a vender that was selling ice cream and other tasting goods at the park across the street, Darius looked up to his mother with pleading eyes if he can go have some. As Faye looked back down to her son, knowing what he wanted, she couldn't help but get that shuddering shiver going up her spine. Those eyes, those piercing transfixed eyes still hypnotized her, just the same way his father has done to her so long ago.

He had many of his father's features but as far as appearance goes, he had a lot of her own. He had those strait silky light violet locks that was cut into that semi-symmetrical bowl shaped haircut and soft pale, yet, healthy ivory skin color. He took on the traits of his father's very handsome looks and though at the age Darius was at, he only had a pudgy little nose but Faye could already tell that he would have that long arched nose, just like his father's was. As personality goes, yes he did have a bit of a temper like her own, but still kept a restraint content look in him. And when it came to stubbornness and determination, well he picked that up from both of them.

"A'ma, can I have some ice cream?" Darius said as he looked to his mother.

"Hm? Oh of course Darcy." She said this in a sweet motherly tone. She held onto his hand as they crossed to the other side of the street.

_000_

They sat at the bench as Darius struggled to lick up the remaining of his ice cream as it melted and slid down his fingers. Faye had to smile at her son's childish clumsiness, and then a thought came to her. She worried for her son's acts from his school. If anything she didn't want her child to pick up from his father, was his bearings. She was already half worried that her son is a natural born leader and influences many of the other kids to follow, she was happy for him, but it still scared her that he was going to pick up to where his father left off.

As he finished his ice cream, he smiled up to her, the same smile that he has gotten from his father. His face was covered from the remaining rock-road that he has eaten. Faye though, only gave him a sad smile. She put her arm around his shoulder and kissed his crown. Indeed, she really worried for her son.

* * *

Note: Wow, I finished...crapy ending. I am so disappointed in myself though, I've worked on part of this story during my Writing class during a lecture. Sorry, I didn't proof read it either and I promise, of there is any editing, I swear I'll fix them.

And yaeh, Darius is at only the age of four, and that would mean that he's to young for grade school, so I put him more into a head start child care kind of school. Thanks for reading, and I gotta go, (I'm a minute late to Math class.)


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